Current collector mounting means



Dec. 3, '1946. w. J. LEWIS 2,412,052

CURRENT COLLECTOR MOUNTING MEANS Filed Aug. 26, 1944 I J 7 6 9 be V 73nnentor I ZQRREN e7. LEWIS I (Itt orneg A Patented Dec. 3, 1946 CURRENTCOLLECTOR MOUNTING Warren .1. Lewis, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor'to TheOhio'Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New J ersey'ApplicationAugust 6, 1944, Serial No. 551,3 2

s Claims. (01.191-45) My invention relates to. current collectingapparatus and has particular application for use in connection withtraveling cranes and other analogous apparatus requiring current in theoperation thereof.

A traveling crane may employ direct or alternating current requiring.two supply wires or may employ two or three phase alternating currentrequiring four or three supply conductors. These conductors are usuallyinstalled on the structure supporting the crane and atone end of thecrane and parallel to the path of travel of the crane. The conductorsare spaced apart and may be installed in a vertical or horizontal plane.Other methods of installation may. be used to meet requirements not.described herein as my invention relates to the current collectingapparatus which is mounted on the crane in a manner to engage with theconductors;

, The arrangement is, in general, similarto theoperation of the trolleybus in which two current collectors are mounted in the vehicle to engagewith a pair of overhead conductors and for that reason I have made useof the experience gained in such operation in my present inventions.

A complete description of my invention is set forth herein and shown inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. .3 is an end view of Fig. l. V

Fig. 4 is aview in section taken on the line 4-4 Fig.1. V

Fig. his a View in section of aportionof my invention-taken on the linell-.15 of Fig. 3. v f .6: isa plan yiewoione of the supportingelements-shown in Fig, 1.

Fig.7isa

v sectional view taken on the line ll of Fig. 6..

Fromtheabove outline of themannerof use of the current collectors, itwill be appreciated that there will be asmany collectors as there aresupply conductors; while 'I have shown only a single collector.:Thecollectors are independent except for their being mounted on asingle insulated support member, as a rule.

In Fig. 1 is shown a support member I of insulating material andattached to the crane in any suitable manner, either horizontally orvertically depending upon whether the feeder conductors are arranged ina horizontal plan or a vertical plan respectively.

Secured to the insulating support I is clamping means C comprising themembers 2 and 3 and the bolts and nuts 4. This clamp may be of any otherconstruction or form suitable for the re quirements. The member 2 isprovided with a threaded socket 5.

Projecting from the member 2 is a support member 6 of metal having athreaded portion 1 entering the socket 5 and held in fixed relation bythe jam nut 8,.

By properly designing the connection between the clamping member 2 and.the support 6,

the amount of projection of the Support 6 with respect to the support Imay be altered due to the threaded connectionalso. the angular positionof the support 6 may be changed with respect-to its-longitudinal axisand the support 'l so that the. support 15 may be installed in'ahorizontal position and the collectors engage con.- ductors installed ina vertical plane.

The support 6 is also provided with a portion 9 having some length andalso an arcuate upper surface In and an arcuate lower surface I I Thesesurfaces are concentric having a common center of radii (see Fig. '7)spaced from the longitudinal axis of the bar.

Maintained on the support portion 9 is a current collector shoe S whichis free to move back and forth thereon to automatically adjust itsposition with respect to the variation between the crane and the conductor which may vary slightly as the crane travels along its track;

One end of the support portion 9 is provided with ahole and cotter I2therein to limit travel of the collector S in one direction andshoulders 13 limit movement in the other direction.

The current collector S comprises a saddle member [4 having an arcuateslot l5 with sur-.- faces conforming to the surfaces I0 and ll of thesupport 6 and alsohaving an extended length of opening to permit-thecollector to rock upon its support 9 about the common center ofcurvature of the surfaces l0 and 'l I. Secured to the saddle M is ashoeor insert holder I6 having ahook at one end to interlock with the saddleand a hreaded 111g at he th r e to c e th cap screw [9, whereby the shoeis detachably secured to the saddle.

The shoe or holder is provided with an elongated groove 20 at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the bar whereby the collector isguided along the conductor. The shoe may be provided with a slot inwhich is positioned an insert 2| of carbon, steel or a soft metal or theshoe may be solid with no insert.

For a more complete description of the current 3 collector reference ismade to U. S. Letters Patent 1,890,946 and 2,185,268.

adjust its position on the support 6 and the support 6 may be manuallyadjusted with respect to the support I as previously described.

In order to improve the conductivity of the device in view of theseveral joints, I provide a flexible jumper or shunt 22 preferably ofwoven copper wires. One end is secured to the saddle M by the cap screw23 and to the clamp member 2 by the bolt 24. A conductor to thecraneapparatus may be secured to the bolt 24.

As my invention, I claim:

l. A current collector comprising, an insulating support, clamping meansto grip the support and having a threaded orifice, a supporting barprojecting from the clamping means and having a threaded engagement withthe orifice, a portion of the bar having a concave bearing surface andan oppositely disposed convex bearing surface and both bearing surfaceshavinga common center of curvature, a-current collector shoe mounted onthe bar, the shoe having a saddle with a transverse openingthere-through and having opposite walls conforming to the said bearingsurfaces whereby the shoe may be positionedon the said nally thereon,spaced means on the bar at the ends of said portion to limit thelongitudinal movement of the shoe, and contact members mounted on thesaddle-having a longitudinal slot to receive a trolley wire and guidethe collector along the wire,

2. Asuppor't for a current collector comprissecure the bar to a support,means to secure'the bar may be rotated relative to the support" tochange their angular relation, means to hold said relation afteradjustment, the bar provided with a portion of extended length andhaving oppositely disposed concave and convex bearing surfaces formingan arc of a circle and having a common center of curvation, the saidportion adapted to receive a current collector mounted on the-saidportion of the bar and having bearing surfaces conforming to those ofthe bar, the said portion beinglonger than the width of the collectorwhereby the; collector is free to move along the portion, and means tolimit the movement of the collector along the-said'portion;

3. A support for a current collector comprising, anelongated supportingbar having an end portion with oppositely disposed concave and convexbearing surfaces, upon which a' current collector may be mounted andmove freely along the said portion, the said surfaces having a commoncenter of curvature, at supporting attacha threadedend on the bartoenter the orifice and cooperate with the threads therein whereby thebar may be adjusted rotationally and longitudinally relative to the saidattachment, means to prevent rotation of the bar relative to the attach-It will be noted the collector may automatically portion of the bar andfreely movable longitudibar and supporting means together wherebythement for the bar provided with a threaded orifice,

4 ment after adjustment and spaced means on the bar at the ends of thesaid end portion to limit the free movement of the collector along thesaid portion.

4. A current collecting device comprising an elongated projecting bar,means at one end to secure the bar to a support, a current collectormounted on the bar and freely movable along a portion ofthe bar, meansto limit the movement of the collector along the bar to said portion andto retain the collector on the bar, the collector provided with a saddleportion associated with the saidportion of the bar and having a limitedpivotal movement thereon at right angles to the ing, an elongated bar, asupportingfmeans towire, the said portion of the bar being provided withcurved and spaced parallel bearing surfaces for the saddle and havingtheir common center of curvature spaced laterally from the longitudinalaxis of the bar.

5. A current collecting device comprising an elongated bar, anattachment to secure the bar to a support, the said attachment having anorifice in which the end of the bar is positioned, means at one end ofthe bar cooperating with means in the orifice whereby the bar is securedto the attachment and may be rotated relative thereto whereby theirangular relation may be changed and also the'projection of the barrelative to the attachment-{means to hold said relations afteradjustment has been made, the bar provided with'a portion ofextendedlength having parallel bearing surfaces of limited width andhaving a common center of curvature, a longitudinally' slidable currentcollector mounted on the said portion of the barand having bearingsurfaces on the bar whereby the shoe may oscillate in a plane at rightangles to the concentric bearing surfaces on the bar,- the collectorhaving means to receive a trolley wire at right angles to the said axisof the bar and means to limit the longitudinal movementof the collector.

6. A current collecting device comprising an elongated bar, means at oneend of the bar-to secure it to a support, other means to securethe barto the said means, a curved bearing surface extending along a portion ofthe bar, a current collector mounted on the said bearing surface toengage a trolley wire and to move freely along the said portion as theresult of side pressure between the collector and the trolley wire andhaving curved bearing surfaces cooperating with the said curved bearingsurface'on the bar and with a second curved surface on the said portionto maintain the collector ontliesaid portion;the center of curvature ofall the curved surfaces positioned at a point laterally spaced from thelongitudinal axis of the bar and about which the collector mayoscillate, andmeans to limit the movement of the collector along thebar'tosald portion. 7 g ,e WARREN J; LEWIS.

